Crimson's End
by Psyknife
Summary: The X-Men mourne the loss of one of their trusted team members, Psylocke.


DISCLAIMER: The characters in this story are property of Marvel Comics.  
"Crimson's End"  
by Psyknife  
  
  
  
  
It was a cold, rainy night in London. The evening fog was starting to set   
in on the city, and there was an overwhelming feeling of emptiness   
surrounding the distant group of people in the cemetary. They are a group   
of mutants who have chosen to seclude themselves from those they love in   
order to solve one major mission that is causing them to put their lives   
in danger. They have already lost one on this mission. They are known as   
the X-Men. Their names are Storm, Bishop, Neal, Rogue, and Sage. They   
are mourning the loss of one of their team members, and friend, on this   
cold night. They are not near the gravesite; instead they say their   
goodbye's from a distance, under a lone weeping willow tree. They look on   
at all of this brave mutant's famliy and friend's from home. England is   
home for the mutant known as Elizabeth Braddock, also known as Psylocke.   
Her famliy cannot believe that she is gone. She was always an adventurer   
with a certain zest for life. She fought like a warrior and loved like a   
goddess. She touched everyone that surrounded her.  
Neal Sharra, also known as Thunderbird III, stands farther away than the   
rest of the X-Men. He has the unfortunate short coming of being in love   
with Betsy, and their time together was very short lived. He has nothing   
to say in this moment. All he can do is try to hold back the tears and   
remember the way that her cheeks dimpled everytime she smiled at him.  
Under the tree, Sage sits leaning against the trunk in silence. She never   
really knew Betsy as well as everyone else, so she doesn't spend too much   
time crying. Instead, she thinks back on those that she has lost during   
her time on this tormented earth. She fears what still may come on this,   
what seems like a never-ending, mission.  
The mutant known as Rogue, who has had a number of her own troubles   
lately, stands; cradled in the arms of Storm. Her tears flow more easily   
now than ever. She has known Betsy since she first joined the X-Men, and   
she can't believe that she's gone. She knew that this mission may bring   
death from the start. That is why she kept the love of her life, Remy   
LeBeau, from coming along. Though she knows he can't be here in this   
moment, she longs for his arms to hold her now more than anything, in her   
time of sorrow.  
Storm does her best to comfort Rogue, but she knows that nothing can help   
right now. Death is not something that people can deal with easily. She   
tries her best to keep her composure under the cicumstances. Tears well   
in her eyes, but she needs to stay strong to keep the group together. She   
loved Betsy dearly, but she also knows that Betsy would want them to move   
on and follow their dreams.  
The mutant known as Bishop leans silently against the tree. He is not one   
to cry, but that doesn't mean that he can't feel sorrow. He wishes that   
he had gotten to know Betsy better, because he did not learn much about   
her in his childhood in the future. He can't conceive why this woman, who   
gave her life to save another, would not be mentioned in the history   
books; while the rookie, Thunderbird III, was mentioned.  
Storm slowly takes her arms from around Rogue and makes a gesture to the   
rest of the team. Sage rises to join everyone as they walk over to Neal.   
Storm puts her arm around Neal and leads him in the direction of the gate.   
Silently, they exit, knowing that they are not finished by any means.   
Now, more than ever, they know that their mission must be completed. They   
can't afford to lose another friend.  
In the meantime, Betsy will always be with them. Guiding them. Watching   
over them. She may not be in sight, but always in mind.  
Behind them a sudden breeze catches the braches of the weeping willow, and   
it dances in the wind almost as if it was saying goodbye.   
THE END 


End file.
